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The differences between field system engineers and principal systems engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a field system engineer and a principal systems engineer. Additionally, a principal systems engineer has an average salary of $133,208, which is higher than the $91,282 average annual salary of a field system engineer.
The top three skills for a field system engineer include PLC, troubleshoot and customer sites. The most important skills for a principal systems engineer are systems engineering, DOD, and C++.
| Field System Engineer | Principal Systems Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $91,282 | $133,208 |
| Hourly rate | $43.89 | $64.04 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 145,115 | 146,444 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A field system engineer specializes in designing and developing systems and applications to optimize company operations. Among their responsibilities include identifying and understanding the company's needs, conceptualizing plans, developing prototypes and test structures, troubleshooting and resolving problems, coordinating with fellow engineers, and producing progress reports as needed. They are also responsible for establishing guidelines, safety policies, and standards. Moreover, a field system engineer typically manages a junior team, which requires an active communication line for a smooth and efficient workflow.
A Principal Systems Engineer supervises a group of other engineers in technical projects. They develop and lead systems engineering projects and efforts.
Field system engineers and principal systems engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Field System Engineer | Principal Systems Engineer | |
| Average salary | $91,282 | $133,208 |
| Salary range | Between $65,000 And $126,000 | Between $97,000 And $181,000 |
| Highest paying City | Menlo Park, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | F5 | eBay |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a field system engineer and a principal systems engineer in terms of educational background:
| Field System Engineer | Principal Systems Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | Northeastern University |
Here are the differences between field system engineers' and principal systems engineers' demographics:
| Field System Engineer | Principal Systems Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.6% Female, 7.4% | Male, 89.7% Female, 10.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.9% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.6% Asian, 8.8% White, 64.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 8.3% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 12.1% Asian, 12.8% White, 61.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |